- Date
- October 3, 2020, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Hinckley, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4972GCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201003019999A
- Case key
- 102082
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane’s impact with deer while landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Before landing, the pilot and flight instructor performed a mid-field transition over the runway and no wildlife were visible. The pilot receiving instruction reported that, during the landing roll on the runway, two deer impacted the airplane’s right forward fuselage and propeller. They maneuvered the airplane off the runway without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport manager/owner reported that since the airport was built 15 years ago, this was the first wildlife encounter with an aircraft. He stated that the airport did not have a perimeter fence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4972G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273519
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 6,690
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2A0, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2020 · 55.8 hours before
- Departed
- MZH · Moose Lake, MN
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 04W · Field of Dreams Airport, runway 24, 2,751 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 4, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 14,716 total · 250 in this make and model · 10,629 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 6, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 203 total · 121 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KJMR, 18 nm away
- METAR
- KJMR 032315Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM -DZ BKN039 OVC045 06/02 A3021 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.